1 John 5:12 You Have the Son and Have Life

1 John 5:12 (NAS)*

     He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

You have been aware of certain abilities and gifts that you possess, since you were young.  They are a part of you, just as your arms, legs, ears, and eyes are a part of you. You cannot conceive your life without these abilities and gifts. You would be incomplete without them.

At one point you heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and you decided to respond and receive Him as your Lord and Savior.  You now have Jesus Christ.  Just as you cannot do without your gifts and abilities; so too you cannot do without the Lord.  You would be incomplete without Him. You are a descendant of Jesus Christ and part of His posterity.

The word “has” in this verse is in the present tense and like the present tense in English, it means now.  In the Greek, “has” is in the active voice and that means that you are the subject of the action because of your action in receiving Jesus the Lord. 

The life that you have is vital, vigorous, and animated.  It is real and genuine.  It is a life devoted to God and blessed. Since you have put your trust in Christ, you will live eternally with Him. Your life will last forever. It will always be fresh, strong, and efficient.  You will remain active and powerful.

However, those who do not choose Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior do not have this life.  Even though they are physically living in this world, this life is limited.  They do not have the Son and thus they do not have the life as you experience and know. Therefore, it is important that you share your life with them, so that they too may experience and know the Son of God.

(*I used only one version of the Bible, since they all say basically the same thing.  

NLR 8/24/14)